What’s New for the 2018 Chevy Equinox?

The Equinox is a popular crossover in Chevy’s expansive lineup that just entered its third generation for the 2018 model year. Rather than ruining a good thing, Chevy added some additional styling details and more options to its compact crossover to entice buyers looking to buy in an increasingly crowded segment.

Design Changes

The main change to the 2018 Equinox’s exterior is its length—almost 5 inches shorter than its predecessor. This helped Chevy reduce the crossover’s weight by 400 pounds. Looks-wise, the Equinox has received a makeover to bring it more in line with other popular models like the Cruze, Volt, and Malibu.

The redesign has also made the Equinox more aerodynamic, with additions like tire deflectors, “air traps” on the taillights and D-pillars, and a bigger spoiler in the rear. The overall result is a more streamlined look, as well as the all-important improvement to fuel economy.

Performance and Efficiency

One of the most exciting changes to the 2018 Equinox is its engine lineup, comprised of three offerings. The first two are turbocharged gasoline engines—a 1.5-liter and a 2.0-liter. The smaller engine pumps out 170 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque, while the 2.0-liter offering has 252 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The third engine option is a 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine boasting 137 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque.

According to the EPA, the 1.5-liter gasoline engine returns fuel economy of 26 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg combined in the FWD model; that drops to 24/30/26 MPG City/Highway/Combined when you choose the AWD version. The 2.0-liter FWD Equinox yields 22 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined, while its AWD sibling gets 22/28/24 MPG City/Highway/Combined.

The real star of the Equinox lineup, at least when it comes to efficiency, is the turbodiesel engine, which returns 28 mpg city, 39 mpg highway, and 32 mpg combined with FWD; and 28/38/32 MPG City/Highway/Combined with AWD.

Added Safety Features

The auto industry, as a whole, is moving towards including advanced safety features as standard on their vehicles, and Chevrolet is no different. The 2018 Equinox comes with a standard rear vision camera, Chevy’s Teen Driver system, and a whole host of OnStar services. Available features include following distance indicator, forward collision alert, lane change alert with side blind zone alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, low speed forward automatic braking, safety alert seat, and surround vision.